Ring of Honor World Champion PCO has praised Matt Hardy, offering the current RAW Superstar an ROH Championship match over Twitter. PCO’s words come following an interaction between Hardy and a fan online.
Hardy noted how he has great respect for PCO and his recent accomplishments. He highlighted the champion’s “creative, out of the box content” and current character. Hardy stressed that PCO deserves props for his resilience and longevity in the industry.
Seeing his kind words, PCO responded, writing:
“Thanks to @MATTHARDYBRAND who broke through the darkness of creativity and enlightenment creating so much positivity to our industry, Say the word ! PCO the @ringofhonor World Champion with his Creator D.Destro VS Matt Hardy The Match that will POP the entire WORLD”
Thanks to @MATTHARDYBRAND who broke through the darkness of creativity and enlightenment creating so much positivity to our industry, Say the word ! PCO the @ringofhonor World Champion with his Creator D.Destro VS Matt Hardy The Match that will POP the entire WORLD ?
Hardy replied to the championship opportunity, thanking PCO for the offer and noting how the “proposition sounds positively delightful!”
Matt Hardy In Limbo
With Matt Hardy’s WWE contract reportedly expiring at the end of March, there is substantial fan debate and speculation over where he will go next.
Although Hardy has previously wrestled in Ring of Honor, many believe he will be joining All Elite Wrestling. It is thought he will be revealed to be the Exalted One that is frequently referenced by the Dark Order.
Hardy has teased his farewell in WWE alongside cryptic messages on social media and videos on YouTube. Last week on RAW, Hardy was brutally assaulted by Randy Orton. They are slated to face off against each other this Monday night. They clash in a No Holds Barred match.
SmackDown Superstar Sheamus has restated his interest in claiming the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Sheamus has shared his desire in the past. The Intercontinental championship is the only one to have eluded Sheamus during his tenure in WWE. If he were to win the Intercontinental champion, the victory would see him become a WWE Grand Slam champion.
“I’m really focused now as well. I know what I want to do,” Sheamus told CTV News. “The Intercontinental Championship is the only title that I haven’t won in WWE. There are a lot of things I’m not happy about. My first run as WWE Champion, etc, etc, and I want to come back and prove that I have another 10 years left in me, I have a lot more to win, a lot more to achieve.”
Sheamus recently returned to WWE following an extended hiatus from the company. He defeated Shorty G during the pre-show of WWE’s January pay-per-view, Royal Rumble.
On last night’s episode of SmackDown, “The Celtic Warrior” took on both Shorty G and Apollo Crews in a handicap match. Despite having the odds stacked against him, Sheamus was still able to emerge victorious following a Brogue Kick to Crews.
If Sheamus is able to leverage himself into the Intercontinental Championship picture, he would have to face off against the current titleholder, Braun Strowman.
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WWE SmackDown aired live from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Bayley put her SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Carmella tonight.
WWE SmackDown Results (2/14)
Bayley def. Carmella to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Sheamus def. Shorty G & Apollo Crews
Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan def. The Miz & John Morrison
Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Bayley Retained & Will Defend Her Title At Super ShowDown
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross kicked off the show with an episode of A Moment of Bliss. Alexa and Nikki revealed their celebrity crushes before introducing Carmella as the guest. Bliss and Cross brought up Carmella’s previous friendship with Bayley and showed photos of them together. Carmella blamed Sasha Banks for the reason they aren’t friends anymore and claimed that The Boss changed Bayley. Bayley interrupted and it led to the title match.
Match Recap: Carmella controlled the match early and bounced Bayley’s face off the announce table. Carmella went for a Superkick but Bayley hid behind the referee before connecting with a cheap shot. Bayley followed it up with the Bayley to Belly but Carmella kicked out at two. Carmella battled back and applied the Code of Silence but Bayley was able to escape. Bayley then rolled Carmella up and used the ropes for leverage to win the match.
After the match, Bayley attacked Carmella with her championship belt. Naomi rushed the ring and made the save. Naomi and Carmella leveled Bayley with a couple of Superkicks to end the segment. Bayley was interviewed backstage and boasted about her victory. Bayley stated that she will defend her title at Super ShowDown and doesn’t care who it is against. It was later announced that Carmella and Naomi will battle next week to determine who will face Bayley at Super ShowDown.
Hulk Hogan was interviewed on this week’s episode of SmackDown. Hogan spoke about Goldberg’s upcoming Universal Championship against The Fiend at Super ShowDown. Hogan brought up the NWO being inducted in the WWE HOF this year as well.
Hogan said that he knows the power of Goldberg but has felt The Fiend’s energy when he was backstage recently. Bray Wyatt interrupted with an episode of Firefly Fun House and mocked Hogan and NWO. Wyatt fed Huskus a chocolate bar and said that he hoped it wasn’t too sweet.
Hulk wished Bray luck in his match against Goldberg and Wyatt quickly responded that he doesn’t need luck. Bray held up a picture of Hogan and said that he will see him around. Hogan told Wyatt that he will see him in Tampa at the Hall of Fame.
Braun Strowman & Elias Ruined Sami & Cesaro’s Protest Concert
Sami Zayn and Cesaro came down the ring for a protest concert. Elias immediately interrupted and said he was staging a counter-protest against them. Sami told his security guards to stand down and allow Elias into the ring because he believes in free speech.
Cesaro started hitting the cowbell but a loud “walk with Elias” chant broke out. Elias told the crowd he liked the sound of that song before Sami told everyone to shut up. Cesaro went insane on the cowbell and Zayn said he needed less cowbell. The crowd then chanted “we want cowbell!” as Elias laughed in the corner of the ring.
We got a FEVER, and the only PRESCRIPTION is more ?!
Cesaro refused to hit the cowbell and Sami threw it out of the ring. Zayn strummed the banjo as the crowd continued to sing “walk with Elias”. Sami threatened to end the concert and claimed it was a joke that they had the Sedin brothers numbers hanging in the rafters.
A brawl then broke out and Sami & Cesaro beat Elias down. Strowman marched down to the ring and took out the security guards. Braun chased Sami to the ramp and Zayn fell down. Another security guard hit Braun and he chased him into the ring. Elias and Braun then launched him onto the rest of the security guards before posing in the ring.
Otis and Mandy Rose had their Valentine’s Day date tonight on SmackDown. Otis was shown backstage and was nervous about the date. Tucker gave Otis some words of encouragement as Mandy was shown waiting at the restaurant.
Otis showed up to the restaurant with roses and slicked back his hair. Dolph Ziggler got to the table first and placed his hand on Mandy’s shoulder.
Otis then was about to approach the table but saw Mandy sitting with Dolph Ziggler. He looked devastated and dropped the roses on the ground before leaving.
You can actually pinpoint the second when @otiswwe's heart rips in half!
John Morrison and The Miz battled Roman Reigns and a mystery partner in the main event of this week’s episode of SmackDown. Before the match, Miz and Morrison mocked The Usos for not being here tonight and vowed to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at Super ShowDown. Roman Reigns interrupted and it was revealed that Daniel Bryan was his partner for the match. King Corbin showed up with a ticket in hand and took a seat in the front row.
Match Recap: Reigns leveled Morrison with a shoulder tackle to start things off. Bryan tagged in and knocked The Miz off the apron before unloading several right hands to Morrison’s face. Daniel hit Miz with a Suicide Dive and then made his way to the top rope. Bryan hit Morrison with a Dropkick and then fired up the crowd. The action spilled out of the ring and Morrison hit Reigns and Bryan with a Crossbody as SmackDown went to a break.
Back from the break, Bryan climbed to the top rope but Miz tripped him up. Morrison tagged in and continued to beat Daniel down as Roman pleaded for a tag. John went for a Splash but Bryan got out of the way and both superstars were down. Reigns and Miz tagged in and Roman hit a Clothesline. Morrison tagged in and connected with a kick to the face for a near fall.
Reigns battled back and hit a Superman Punch. Roman went for a Spear but Morrison countered with a boot to the face. Miz tagged in and hit Skull Crushing Finale but Bryan broke up the pinfall at the last moment. The Miz hit Bryan with a kick and Daniel tumbled out of the ring. The Miz mocked Bryan by trying to start a yes chant but Reigns caught him with a Superman Punch. Roman followed it up with a Spear for the pinfall victory.
After the match, King Corbin attacked Reigns and hit him with the scepter. King Corbin then posed on his thrown to close the show. Reigns and Corbin will battle in a Steel Cage match at Super ShowDown.
Opinion: This week’s episode of SmackDown was a solid show. Sami Zayn continues to be hilarious in his manager role, but I’m hoping WWE has him return to in-ring action soon. Carmella and Bayley had a good match and Otis getting his heart broken was sad as hell.
It appears that WWE United States Champion Andrade could be counting down the days of his title reign on Raw.
Andrade’s days as champion are numbered, according to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. As of this writing, there’s no word on if the title change could be due to the most recent situation that put him on the sidelines.
He’s currently serving a suspension for failing a Wellness Policy test. This is the Superstar’s first violation of the company’s Wellness Policy.
What is known is that Andrade is scheduled to return from his 30-day suspension at WWE Super ShowDown.
WWE presents the pay-per-view event on Thursday, February 27, 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the Mohammed Abdou Arena that will air on the WWE Network.
WWE has already announced him for a Gauntlet Match for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy. This contest will also feature Rusev, R-Truth, Erick Rowan, Bobby Lashley, and AJ Styles.
Up to his suspension, he had been feuding with Rey Mysterio then back into a feud with Humberto Carrillo. Since Andrade has been on the sidelines, WWE put Angel Garza with Andrade’s normal manager, Zelina Vega, on Monday Night RAW.
The Undertaker is slated to be in action at this year’s WWE WrestleMania 36 event as his opponent has been revealed.
Dave Meltzer was able to confirm that The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles is currently on the schedule for the WrestleMania card. The news was first reported by WrestleZone.
Taker missed WrestleMania 35 last year, which broke his streak of wrestling at the biggest event of the year for the company, which is also where he had the winning streak of never losing at the show until it was snapped by Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 in 2014.
The Undertaker In 2019
In 2019, Taker was in action twice – once by defeating Goldberg at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia in June and then again by teaming with Roman Reigns to defeat Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre at Extreme Rules in July.
Styles had been sidelined with a separated shoulder since last month’s Royal Rumble show but WWE announced earlier this month that Styles was “recovering way ahead of doctor’s projections.”
In fact, the company has already announced that he would compete for the Tuwaiq Trophy gauntlet match at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, February 27.
WWE presents the WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view event on Sunday, April 5, 2020 in Tampa, Florida at the Raymond James Stadium that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.
Booker T thinks that Carmella is the “female Miz” of the women’s division.
On last night’s episode of WWE Backstage, the WWE Hall of Famer praised Carmella while discussing the upcoming SmackDown Live Women’s title match between her and Bayley.
Booker T first talked about Bayley and said that while she’s great she is still trying to find herself and going through a transformation.
Coming to Carmella, Booker T said, “…I look at Carmella and what I see is consistency. What I see in Carmella is– she’s the “female Miz” of the women’s division. She’s like a timeless watch man, she takes a lickin’, she keeps on ticking.”
A fan posted a clip of the above segment from the show and tagged Carmella. Carmella seems really happy with Booker’s comments and retweeted the video, saying that Booker T is stating facts.
Carmella joined WWE in 2013 when she signed a contract with the company and was assigned to NXT in Orlando, Florida. In October of 2014, she began a stint on the brand with Enzo Amore and Big Cass.
In July 2016, she made her main roster debut on SmackDown. A year later, she went on to become the winner of the first-ever women’s Money in the Bank ladder match and subsequently became the first woman to cash in her MITB briefcase in April of 2018. She cashed it against Charlotte Flair and won the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship.
She is also the winner of WrestleMania 35’s Women’s Battle Royal and has most recently won the WWE 24/7 Championship twice.
When NXT presents Takeover Sunday night from Portland, it won’t be the night before a major WWE PPV. Triple H noted during a recent interview with Yahoo Sports that the change in PPV schedule which sees NXT Takeover events presented on Sundays independent of WWE events has created a different vibe backstage.
“When you come into an area and you know that tomorrow night there is going to be another pay-per-view taking place, there’s a slightly different buzz,” Triple H said. “The conversations are different, some of the people are different. There’s also this moment of, ‘Hey, we have to prove ourselves so when we leave here we can say, follow that.’ When you’re in this business, every time you step into the ring, you want to leave with a moment that fans will remember you by. When you have the stage to yourself and you have the whole audience, that’s different, but the buzz is just as high.”
Triple H also took some time during the interview to talk about Bianca Belair vs Rhea Ripley. Belair won a battle royal on a recent edition of NXT to earn the shot against the new champion.
“You find yourself in this situation where you have Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair both on fire right now,” Levesque said. “If Bianca Belair wins this, would anybody be upset if it was Bianca versus Charlotte, if that was the road we went down? Would anybody be upset if it was Rhea and Charlotte? Would anybody be upset if it was a triple threat? There are so many opportunities because you have phenomenal talent, performing in incredible ways and the storylines write themselves. It’s win-win-win.”
The full interview with Triple H can be read here.
While many had assumed Monday’s appearance on RAW might be Matt Hardy’s last, it has recently been announced that Hardy will face Randy Orton next week. Stemming from Orton’s attack on Hardy on this week’s RAW, Hardy and Orton will go one-on-one in a No Holds Barred match on Monday.
“Matt Hardy is expected to leave WWE in March,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
“Hardy is the leading speculated name for the leader of the Dark Order since they just started teasing a leader and Hardy just started putting out the videos,” Meltzer continued.
Corey Graves spoke about Hardy on his podcast recently. Graves feels Hardy would make an excellent addition to the WWE creative team.
“We’ve seen what he is capable of on his own outside of WWE and within. I mean, the guy’s resume speaks for itself. It’s not like you’re hiring some guy off the street who went to theater school, this is Matt freakin’ Hardy.”
Corey Graves talked about calling her girlfriend Carmella’s matches when she appeared on his After the Bell podcast along with Otis.
Graves said that he feels weird calling Carmella’s matches on SmackDown Live.
“I was having discussions with the young lady behind the counter about what it’s like to call your matches, which is very strange to me because the members of the WWE Universe who watch Total Divas and follow us on social media know about our personal life to an extent, but the vast majority of the people who watch SmackDown, probably don’t exactly know,” Corey Graves said.
He also added that he wants to cheer for Carmella but it wouldn’t make much sense as he has more of a heel persona and Carmella is a face right now.
“Also, you are more of a good guy these days, whereas I tend to lean toward the villainous side, so there’s a really weird dichotomy, and I want to go, ‘Oh I want to cheer for her, but it doesn’t make sense if I cheer for her,” Corey Graves explained.
Corey Graves and Carmella started dating in 2019, and their relationship has been profiled on Total Divas too. The relationship was full of controversies as Graves’ wife made a post on Instagram in early 2019 accusing both him for cheating on her. She soon deleted her post, but it had become a hot topic online.
Both Carmella and Corey Graves denied the allegations, as it was later revealed that Graves was actually in the process of divorce with his wife for around six months and that he had been living in a different home.
At the most recent set of Impact Wrestling tapings held at Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas last week, a new inductee into the promotion’s Hall of Fame was announced. Ken Shamrock will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Shamrock won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on the first-ever TNA Wrestling event in 2002. He would hold the title until the 8th ever TNA Wrestling event when he lost it to Ron “The Truth” Killings (aka R-Truth).
Impact Wrestling’s Hall of Fame dates back to 2012 when Sting was the inaugural inductee.
Sting (2012)
Kurt Angle (2013)
Team 3-D (Bully Ray & Devon) (2014)
Jeff Jarrett (2015)
Earl Hebner (2015)
Gail Kim (2016)
Abyss (2018)
Ken Shamrock (2020)
Shamrock will be the 8th wrestler and 9th person inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame. Most inductions take place around the time of Impact’s Bound For Glory PPV. The PPV is usually held around October.
Shamrock has already been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2003 as part of the Pioneer Wing.
Cathy Kelley has announced she is leaving WWE. The 31-year-old signed with WWE in February of 2016. Her last day with WWE will be Sunday’s TakeOver event from Portland.
Kelley posted the following to Twitter to announce her departure from WWE:
Before joining WWE in 2016, Kelley was a host with AfterBuzz TV. Her official website can be found here. She has a degree in journalism and is a member of Mensa International.
“I’ve typed out and deleted this about 20 times over the past few days, still unsure what to write… I have come to the decision to leave WWE, with Sunday’s NXT Takeover being my last day. If you know me, you know this was more than a job, you know how much I loved it and how difficult this decision was. But sometimes in order to have room for growth, you have to step away.
I am so thankful for getting to live out a crazy dream the past four years. Thank you to the WWE digital team for being a platform that never stifled creativity. Thank you to Stephanie McMahon for being a mentor and inspiration in every way. Thank you to Triple H for heading up the best wrestling show currently on tv and letting me be a part of it. And thank you to everyone who has supported me, whether it’s watching a video I’ve done or sending a tweet of encouragement. Words cannot begin to express how much it means.
I’m not sure yet where my next chapter will take me, but I am damn excited for it. And I promise this isn’t a goodbye, it’s just a see you later – CK”
After making a surprise appearance in the men’s Royal Rumble match and then wrestling Rey Mysterio on RAW recently, MVP is moving into a backstage role with WWE. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, MVP is transitioning into a producer role with the company.
“MVP is being transitioned into a producer role,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “The segment on Raw was not necessarily meant to be a regular thing, but he was so good in the role that since he’s going to be working for the company most likely, it’s something they can use whenever they need it.”
MVP hosted a segment of his “MVP Lounge” this week on RAW. His guest was Royal Rumble winner Drew McIntyre.
MVP In WWE
Real name Hassan Hamin Assad, MVP signed with WWE in 2005. He made his debut on Smackdown the following year under a high-priced free agent gimmick. MVP had a good run from 2006 to 2010 before leaving WWE to wrestle with New Japan Pro Wrestling where he won the 2011 Intercontinental Championship tournament and became the promotion’s first IWGP Intercontinental Champion.
"You can't get what you want, til you know what you want." – J. Jackson
A lot could be assumed from that single sentence, but it’s worth noting that the WWE Raw star and former Cruiserweight Champion has not won a match on Raw since September 2019. The most recent win came to Cedric as part of a 10-man tag team match. His last singles victory was way back in August. His other wins were all on Main Event.
This week, Cedric was defeated by Angel Garzia in a match that barely lasted more than a couple of minutes.
Wrestling Observer Radio recently reported that the company has zero plans for Cedric, and they don’t know what to do with him.
According to a report by the Wrestling Observer Radio from September 2019, Vince McMahon had given up on Cedric some time ago.
Vince reportedly decided to bury Cedric in his hometown match at Clash of Champions against AJ Styles. Raw Executive Director Paul Heyman wanted to give Cedric a push, but Vince had a differing opinion. Looks like the burial is not going anywhere as the poor TV time and consistent losses for him are still there.
Paul Heyman reportedly had plans to slowly build up Cedric Alexander’s push, but evidently Vince McMahon was not a big fan of the idea.
Cedric was called up to the main roster from 205 Live during the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up. Sadly enough, he had even lost his debut match against Cesaro. His United States Championship match against AJ Styles on Clash of Champions was also moved to the Kickoff show.
Back in November when Cedric was asked in an interview about this “burial”, he said: “Of course [it annoyed me]. When you hear things like that, it doesn’t help my brand, you know what I mean? Regardless of how you feel about it, whether you think AJ buried me or not—it was fine. I knew what it was! It was great matches, I got to show a lot of my personality and my in-ring style. A loss isn’t a burial. It’s AJ Styles, how is that a burial?! He’s one of the holy trinity’s of wrestling to me [with Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels] so to lose to essentially a wrestling deity is fine by me.”
A new episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown is here and it’s a loaded show.
With just hours until bell time, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Several segments have been announced thus far for this show.
There’s also a big title match booked on this show as WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley defends against Carmella in the squared circle.
WWE will also be announcing matches for existing feuds that will take place heading into the Super ShowDown pay-per-view event.
WWE holds this show from Vancouver, CA at the Rogers Arena. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley makes her next title defense against Carmella
Otis looks to capture Mandy Rose’s heart on Valentine’s Day SmackDown
What’s next for Roman Reigns and King Corbin?
The Miz & John Morrison vs. Roman Reigns and a mystery partner
As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for SmackDown.
Join us here later tonight for WWE SmackDown Results and our post-show SmackDown Takeaways feature.
Jeff Cobb made his surprise debut for All Elite Wrestling this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite. Cobb appeared as Chris Jericho’s hired hitman and aligned himself with the Inner Circle and attacked Jon Moxley. Chris Jericho had said earlier on the show that he searched the world for a hitman and he found Cobb, which he recruited for a match with Moxley next week.
Reports had surfaced that despite the big debut and high-profile match for the promotion, Jeff Cobb is not signed to a long term deal with AEW. Now in the latest update from Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer has provided some more details on the situation.
Despite getting booked for a huge match next week, Cobb is still promoted for Ring of Honor shows, up to April’s Supercard of Honor event.
The report says that AEW wants Jeff Cobb to work full-time, and has offered him a contract. However, the wrestler wants to work for other promotions like New Japan Pro Wrestling, along with working his Ring of Honor dates.
Meltzer noted that at this point, Jeff Cobb is for an angle. Cobb has wanted to work with NJPW as much as he can, and there’s no indication if that has changed.
Reportedly, Cody Rhodes has had a keen interest in Jeff Cobb ever since his Ring of Honor contract ended. The company has wanted him in a full-time role, but right now Cobb is only in for the angle and hasn’t signed a contract.
On the February 12 episode of Dynamite, after Moxley defeated Santana in the main event match, Jeff Cobb attacked him by hitting the Tour of the Islands.
While it’s not sure if we’ll see more of Jeff Cobb after February 19’s Dynamite. he is scheduled to appear for ROH’s Gateway to Honor show on February 9 and the aforementioned Supercard of Honor on April 4.
All Elite Wrestling in-ring talent and promo coach Dustin Rhodes recently discussed the promotion’s approach to their Women’s Division. Speaking with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, Rhodes acknowledged that the company is taking a “slow, steady” approach to building the division. He shared how he has become more involved in helping AEW’s women train following his coaching of Brandi Rhodes.
“Brandi came to me and said ‘Hey, would you like to step in and give me some training sessions?’ And it was meant more for her, and then we just started bringing all the girls, and they were loving it, man, and they have such a good time every single week, and I try to switch it up and teach them new things,” Rhodes explained. “Teach them repetition, because it’s all about repetition. Getting in the habit of doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing.”
Dustin Rhodes’ Training Approach
Dustin explained how some of the repetition he has been drilling with them revolves around making sure cameras see their expressions. He noted how most of the talent haven’t been on television before. He stressed the importance of their emotions being translated on screen as well as in the ring.
“The women’s division is developing,” he said. “It is slow, but it is developing, and we will get there over time. You know, this isn’t a race, it’s not a sprint, it’s a slow, steady build, like simmer on the stove, man.”
Regarding the future of the division and how it will grow and evolve, Dustin stated that he wants the women to feel comfortable in themselves, allowing their characters to flourish—a mentality they bring to their training session every week.
Dustin Rhodes is set to face Inner Circle member Jake Hager at AEW Revolution. The show takes place on February 29th from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
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Brock Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, has responded to John Cena’s recent comments. Cena praised Lesnar in an interview with Sports Illustrated, calling Lesnar the “best in-ring performer of all time.” Despite his kind words, it doesn’t seem Heyman is impressed with Cena’s sentiment.
Taking to his Twitter account, Heyman shared an image of Brock Lesnar and John Cena from their early days on SmackDown. Lesnar has Cena hoisted onto his shoulders, seemingly ready to deliver an F5. Heyman accompanied the Tweet with the following caption:
Making sure Cena would see the post, Paul Heyman tagged him, the official WWE Universe account, and Brock Lesnar himself. Cena has yet to respond to Heyman’s post at the time of writing.
Brock Lesnar’s Upcoming Bouts
Brock Lesnar is set to defend his WWE Championship against Ricochet. The two will face off at WWE Super ShowDown which takes place on February 27th from King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia.
If he retains, Lesnar will proceed to clash with the winner of the 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble match, Drew McIntyre. They would compete on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” WrestleMania 36 on April 5th in Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida.
Triple H has addressed rumors that WWE intends to rename the NXT Women’s Championship. It had been reported that the company planned to drop the word “Women’s” going forward, with the belt simply being referred to as the NXT Championship. Speaking on an NXT TakeOver: Portland media call, Triple H dismissed the idea.
“There were conversation that were had,” Triple H admitted. “It was basically about not having to beat it into the ground when you say it, but it just got run with and once… when you have that many people working on a product, and something gets taken the wrong way, everybody in trying to do their job, just spreads it.”
He continued, “There was never an edict, there was never anything. It really was what it was, of just trying not to… if you’re showing a graphic, you don’t have to say, the title belt that says ‘Women’ s’, the graphic that says ‘Women’ s’, the announcers saying ‘Women’ s’, so everybody is… but you get it. There are pictures of women there, you get what it is. You don’t have to beat it into the ground. It was more of, it just got run with and speculated on.”
NXT Champion
Since the rumors first started, there has only been one time that a WWE graphic has showcased current champion, Rhea Ripley, as “NXT Champion.” This graphic was used during WWE’s Worlds Collide event. Since then, there have been no other occasions where the genderless description has been used.
Rhea Ripley is set to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair this Sunday. The two will compete at NXT TakeOver: Portland, which takes place from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
WWE is looking to acquire tape libraries from US indie promotions for its streaming platform, WWE Network.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is reaching out to indie promotions to acquire their tape libraries. The company wants to stream indie wrestling content on its streaming service.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time a situation like this has been teased. In the past, there have been similar reports of the company wanting to get libraries indie promotions like Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW), PROGRESS, and EVOLVE on WWE Network.
WWE had even surveyed Network subscribers on their opinion of wanting indie wrestling content on the streaming service.
Vince McMahon has said that “transformative changes” will be coming to the WWE Network. WWE is looking at ways to further grow and monetize their content. The company has said that there is a lot of interest from other parties for licensing and partnering with them.
Vince McMahon has said that the company is in talks to sell the rights to its PPV events to another major streaming service. During the Q4 2019/FY 2019 earnings conference call, McMahon said that they have a lot of options and they would continue as they are now with a free tier and a more enhanced paid tier for the WWE Network. He added that there is no better time than right now to sell the rights to the majors who are “clamoring for our content,” since this would add a significant increase to WWE’s revenue.
If PPV content is taken off of WWE Network, then the company would need some additional content for its subscribers, as live PPVs are one of the major selling points of the Network. That’s where indie wrestling content comes in.
McMahon has said that if a deal is made, they will be announcing it in the first quarter of 2020. “That’s how far along we are,” he noted.
Current Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion, Jordynne Grace has addressed the rumors over how she came to sign with the promotion. She also reflected on her storyline with Scott Steiner that received a negative reception online.
There had been a long-gestating rumor that Grace was offered her Impact contract through a direct message on social media. Turns out, although the contract itself wasn’t delivered by social media, the conversation that eventually led to it did.
“Scott D’Amore originally contacted me through a Twitter DM and we exchanged phone numbers,” Grace explained to Wrestling Inc. Daily. “Then I was offered the contract through the phone conversation. Scott is one of the coolest guys ever. When he talks business, it’s serious. But in general, he’s kinda one of the boys. He was a wrestler himself so he knows how it is and looks out for the best interests for everybody.”
Jordynne Grace & Scott Steiner Backlash
Turning her mind back to Impact’s 2019 Unbreakable event, Grace reflected on her matchup. She teamed with Scott Steiner and Petey Williams against the team of Dicky Mayer, Gentleman Jervis and Ryan Taylor. The match received some backlash, however, not for the in-ring action but because of Steiner’s actions before and after the match where he slapped Grace’s backside.
“You know what’s so funny is that the first few times we worked together I don’t think he knew my name,” Grace stated. “He’s Scott Steiner so why would he know my name? But he’s been my idol for a long time and I think he’s awesome. But I don’t think he knew I was jokingly calling him my dad because the first time we did our Impact [promo] together along with Petey, he slapped my ass during the promo. I was like, ‘Well, I can never say you’re my dad again.'”
Regarding the controversy itself, Grace said “It was stupid. The first time he slapped my ass, I said, ‘Ok, whatever.’ I didn’t know he was gonna slap my ass at the end of the match, but what are you gonna do? I acted like I was surprised because I didn’t know how to play it off. He asked me if he could do it and I don’t know how I can tell Scott Steiner’ no.’ So I just let him do it.”
Ring of Honor star Flip Gordon has opened up about Marty Scurll’s increased responsibilities with the promotion. Scurll, who is the leader of Villain Enterprises, recently signed a new contract with ROH which saw him become co-booker alongside Delirious.
Speaking with Wrestling Inc. Daily, Gordon addressed Scurll’s new role, praising the business acumen that saw him become a part of ROH’s booking team.
“Marty is a very good businessman and I think whatever position he’s put in, he’s gonna thrive. He’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met and he’s gonna do wonders. Give him a chance and I think you’re gonna be very proud of him,” said Gordon. “Look what he’s done with Villain Enterprises – that’s just on a microlevel. Now he’s got a whole company.”
Flip Gordon On Villain Enterprises Recent Record
Reflecting on his position with Villain Enterprises as their resident “Mercenary,” Gordon confessed that he’s lucky to be a part of the stable, especially as he’s been fired once before.
“I’m surprised I didn’t get fired for losing to Nick [Aldis] this past weekend,” said Gordon. “Marty’s not happy. Since the new year we haven’t been doing that hot. We haven’t won very many matches, I mean I’ve won a few. He’s not in the best of moods. I don’t know if he’s gonna wanna to add a member now.”
Despite their lack of victories, the stable can boast one major win: PCO becoming the new ROH World Champion. The 52-year-old defeated Rush for the title back at ROH’s Final Battle event in December.
Addressing the victory for PCO and, subsequently, Villain Enterprises, Flip Gordon said “I think it’s great he’s world champion and it’s his time. It was a long road to the top of that mountain and he absolutely deserves it. He’s a legend and by him being World Champion, Villain Enterprises is World Champion.”
Ted DiBiase Sr.’s non-profit organization, Heart of David Ministry, has received $2.1 million in welfare money from the state of Mississippi, according to state records.
The report comes from The Clarion-Ledger, which states that the WWE Hall of Famer’s ministry had only “meager” funds until Ted’s son Brett DiBiase got hired as the deputy administrator at the Mississippi Department of Human Services. He was hired back in early 2017.
In May 2017, the Heart of David Ministry started receiving payments as much as $900,000 in a year. It has received a total of $2,126,739 from May 2017 to now. The ministry reported that the grant money received in 2017 was used for “general church speaking engagements, religious conferences, school assemblies, and wrestling events.”
The report also notes that the ministry appears to not have filed any tax documents with the IRS for the last two years.
Last week, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White had announced that six people, including Brett DiBiase, were arrested in the biggest embezzlement scam in the history of the state.
The arrested are alleged to have stolen more than $4.15 million in welfare money. John Davis, the former director of Mississippi’s welfare agency, was also among the arrested. He allegedly used the money for personal use and for DiBiase’s “luxury” drug rehab center.
DiBiase was paid with welfare money to teach drug awareness classes, but he never taught any classes as he was instead being treated for opioid addiction at Rise in Malibu, an addiction treatment center in Malibu, California.
Ted DiBiase Sr. has not been charged with anything as of this writing.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared his two cents on John Cena’s comments regarding Brock Lesnar. Cena recently shared his opinion that Lesnar is the “best in-ring performer of all time” in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Speaking on his podcast, The Hall of Fame, Booker T addressed Cena’s words.
“I know where John is coming from,” Booker T said. “[…] I can say I had a small piece in teaching John Cena the art in Shakespeare. People think I am throwing shade on him when I say John Cena is very limited as far as move set. He’s a guy who parlayed his skills all the way to the main event, the most decorated champion in WWE history. For John to make that statement about Brock Lesnar, I can’t say he’s wrong.”
He continued, “I wouldn’t necessarily say the best, he’s not number one on my list but as far a performer goes, right now, today, on the roster, in my opinion, Brock Lesnar is the most believable guy on our roster today in 2020, bar none. If anybody wants to challenge me on that, do so. The most believable athlete walking out of that curtain. He makes you believe it, you want more of it even if you don’t want more.”
Booker T On Lesnar’s Rumble Performance
Booker T looked at Lesnar’s performance in the Royal Rumble matchup as an example of this, calling it “awesome.” He believes people will remember January’s Rumble match for a long time because of Lesnar’s involvement and that, no matter who Lesnar’s opponent is, “if and when that guy beats Brock Lesnar, the fans go crazy. That’s a moment.”
Brock Lesnar defends his WWE Championship against Ricochet at WWE Super ShowDown on Thursday, February 27th. The event takes place from King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
All Elite Wrestling’s Dustin Rhodes has reflected on the recent AEW segment featuring his younger brother. Cody recently featured in a whipping segment, where he received ten lashes from Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). Speaking with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, Dustin recalled how emotional the process was.
In the build-up to the lashings, AEW ran a few promos featuring people speaking about what Cody was heading towards. One of the people interviewed was Dustin. He stressed how they were intended to help to get “people invested” in the feud and lashings—something he believes they achieved.
Dustin Rhodes’ Reaction
“Cody sold it so well and his acting was so good and the way he was taking them and Arn comes out, his big brother comes out and we are all rallying behind him and I wanted to take the lashes for him,” Dustin said. “I think the only thing that might have been a little bit better is if MJF told me to give him the last five lashes, but this was after I was thinking of all these different scenarios.”
“[…] They were invested and they were standing, and you get some audience shots of them saying “Oh my God” and people are just really upset about it. It is uncomfortable. Whippings are always uncomfortable.”
Dustin admitted that it was “really cool” being out there for that moment. He praised Cody for doing a tremendous job. As far as he is concerned, Cody has really come into his own and is taking the world by storm.
Dustin Rhodes challenged Jake Hager to a matchup on this week’s episode of AEW: Dynamite. The two will face off at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Revolution, on February 29th.
All Elite Wrestling commentator Jim Ross has shared his thoughts about obsessing over ratings. He claimed how they are “irrelevant” to him. He also discussed locker room leaders in AEW and Darby Allin’s potential. Addressing the ratings war, Ross was clear with his opinions: “I don’t care what the ratings do.”
“Look, we have to be realistic about things. The more that AEW devotes more time than they devote on WWE and what they’re doing, we’re wasting time on our own product. If we’re thinking about them, we ain’t thinking about us,” he told WrestleZone in an interview.
He continued, “I don’t care what the ratings do. It’s irrelevant to me what the ratings do—that’s a good sound byte. I don’t care about it because all we can do is work our ass off and provide a great product or as best as we are being produced to do, that’s what we have to worry about, not the other stuff. So I believe if we spend all our time working on how to get us better and improve our team and not worry about anybody else’s team because we can’t change or affect it. Too many of us worry about things that we have absolutely no control over.”
Jim Ross On Locker Room Leaders
The AEW roster is filled with a mixture of younger talent and industry veterans. This provides plenty of opportunities for people to learn from established names.
“I think we have a healthy locker room being built. There’s leaders there,” Ross stated. “There’s young guys that want to be led, want to be taught, coached up, and you’ve got veterans on your squad. We have several. We live by our champion, Chris Jericho.”
“How do you not respect and follow the lead of a Chris Jericho who’s reinvented himself over and over again—always for the better, always leading to more success at a high-level? So if you’re a young guy and you’re wanting to talk about being a wrestling villain or fan-favorite or whatever it may be, Chris Jericho’s a great source of information with that.”
Potential Stars & Long-Term Booking
When it comes to using that talent in AEW storylines, Ross explained how he isn’t a fan of “50/50 booking. Although he concedes that technology and social media can be great tools for wrestlers to connect with fans, he noted how “It’s a sad thing because that’s how you invest emotionally in the characters and that’s how they become big stars and part of that is how they’re booked. You can’t book somebody 50/50. They win one week, they lose the next, that’s silly. Nobody merits from that and the way you get talent over is you get guys on a roll.”
One of those young talents he believes in his Darby Allin. To him, Allin has a great future ahead of him. He noted how Allin reminds him of a young Jeff Hardy. Another is Jungle Boy. Ross described him as having an “unlimited upside” before comparing him to a young Kevin Von Erich.
Alongside these two is Inner Circle member, Sammy Guevara, who Ross claimed is a “little Eddie Guerrero-ish. Great personality, never going to beat anybody with his size, he’s gonna beat him with his technique, his skill set and his speed and so forth.”
